How It Used To Be
by FastForward
Summary: Contest entry. Sakura is going to meet Kakashi at the memorial stone.


**A/N: This is for a contest entry on DA. It's a KakaSaku fic. I hope you all like it. :smiles: **

**Disclaimer: They're still not mine. I haven't tortured K. Masashi enough for them yet.**

* * *

How It Used To Be.

Haruno-Hatake Sakura finished brushing her hair and stood up, placing her brush down on the vanity. She walked towards her bedroom door and headed down the corridor. She could hear fighting and smiled slightly, shaking her head.

"It's mine, I found it first!"

"It's _mine_, you jerk! Let go!"

Sakura walked into the doorway of the bedroom and crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe. Her twins were fighting over their father's old ANBU mask, each wanting to be the ANBU while the other would be the nukenin in their game.

"What are you boys doing?"

Takeshi and Hokuto both looked up at their mother. They smiled sheepishly before rubbing the back of their heads, in-sync. She loved her twins, they were so cute—but impossible to tell apart.

"You look nice, mum, you going somewhere?" Takeshi winked at her. She just laughed.

"I'm going to see your father." Both of their faces fell and she couldn't help but smile sadly.

"Okay. Tell him we say hi, okay?" Hokuto asked as he gripped the mask tighter.

"Of course." She walked forward and kissed both of them on the forehead. "You be good. Don't make me call Naruto over."

"Can you?.!" both asked immediately. Sakura laughed.

"Aren't you old enough to take care of yourselves?"

"We're only nine!"

"So?"

"Mum!"

"Fine, fine." She chuckled. "I'll have Naruto come over."

They both cheered and Sakura had to wait a full twenty minutes before Uzumaki Naruto came over. She complained about it, but he'd merely whispered about Kakashi always being late. Sakura had said nothing to this and left the house. She walked slowly through the streets, greeting those who called out to her.

Before long, she'd made her way to the training grounds and walked up to the other shinobi standing in front of the memorial stone, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. She came up behind him and looped one arm through one of his. The grey-haired shinobi turned and smiled gently to his wife.

"You're late."

"Sorry, the twins held me up." she whispered as she stared at the memorial stone.

"It's all right." He pulled his arm free from her and wrapped it around her shoulders.

The two stood in silence as they stared at the stone. A tear fell across Sakura's cheek. Kakashi saw it and wiped it away gently. "Don't cry, Sakura. Please don't cry."

"I can't help it!" She fell to her knees, her face buried in her hands as she sobbed. Kakashi sighed, bending down beside her and wrapping his arms around her.

"You have to stop doing this. You have to stop coming here every year on this day. It hurts you too much."

"I know." she sobbed. "I know, but I have to come! I _have_ to!"

Kakashi said nothing to this as he continued to hold her, hugging her tightly. There was nothing more he could do. Nothing more he could say.

"Sakura?" The pink-haired girl jerked slightly and turned her head to look at the one who'd spoken. Uchiha Sasuke walked slowly towards her, his hands in his pockets. "Do you want company?" he whispered.

"Sasuke." She ran the back of her hand across her left cheek. "Sorry. I didn't mean to break down."

"It's okay." Sasuke bent down beside her. "It's all right, don't worry about it. Are you here for him?"

"Yes." she whispered.

"You were talking to yourself." Sasuke informed. "Were you talking to him?"

"Yes." Her lower lip quivered. "I miss him—so much. God!" She buried her face in her hands again as she continued to cry. Sasuke sighed and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly.

His eyes rose slightly to look over the memorial stone, looking at the name ninth from the bottom. After all, it had been four years since it had happened. And every year on this day, Sakura came and cried her eyes out.

As Sasuke stared at the name engraved on the stone, he rubbed Sakura's back soothingly, knowing nothing would make her feel better. It was hard for her to feel better, when the name he was staring at read 'Hatake Kakashi'.

THE END.

* * *

**I'm so mean! Sorry!**


End file.
